Tapping and refill-controlling device for liquid containers



C. KARAGEORGIEFF May 4, 1937.

TAPPING AND REFILL CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Dec.26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 4, 1937. c. KARAGEORGIEFF 2,079,121

-TAPPING AND REFILL CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Dec26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 4, 1937 TAPPING ANDREFILL-CGNTROLLING DEVICE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Christoph Karageorgieif,Vienna, Austria Application December 26, 1935,

In Austria March 20,

10 Claims.

This invention relates to tapping and refillcontrolling devices forcontainers such as barrels and the like.

In my co-pending U. S. application, $eria1 Number 12,278, filed March21, 1935, there is described a tapping and refill-controlling device thefilling ports or passages of which are adapted to be closed off underlock control, and the tapping ports or passages of which are so governedby automatically acting closing means that tapping is possible at alltimes while re-filling is only possible after unlocking the meanscontrolling the filling ports or passages, .and then not through thetapping ports or passages.

The present invention relates to devices of this nature, and has foritsobject to increase the certainty with which refilling through thetapping outlet and passages is prevented.

With this object in view there are employed in accordance with thepresent invention, asthe automatically acting closing means governingthe tapping ports or passages, slide valves (straight movement slidevalves, rotary slide valves, and the like) which are simple inoperation, and, in consequence of their construction, less liable tosuffer under heavy duty, than other kinds of valves. Now it would bepossible for the attempt to be made, by the introduction of a piece ofwire or other implement, to check the functioning of the automaticallyacting slide valves, and thus,

in certain particular circumstances, to make it possible for refillingto be effected through the tapping ports or passages. This possibility,however, is eliminated by the means to be described in the presentspecification and intended for use in combination with the remainingfeatures of the device described in my above-mentioned co-pendingapplication. These means consist in the first placeof making the tappingpassages labyrinthine in shape, and in the second place of providing, asactuating members for the operation of automatically closing the slidevalves, weighted levers which are so constructed that the slide valvesbecome closed not only when the container or barrel'is stood up on endor tilted in a vertical plane but also on rotation of the same about itslongitudinal axis. Accordingto a particular form of construction oftheinvention the weighted lever takes the form of a pivoted lever whichis so designed that it closes the shutting off member in any position ofthe container, except for the position of use for tapping, in which itmight be possible to pour liquid into the container through the tappingoutlet. The weighted two-armed lever is depassage is opened a short timeSerial No. 56,278

signed to serve as the carrier of the shutting oii member which governsthe air and liquid passages, and which preferably takes the form of astraight movement slide valve, and presses this slide valveagainst itsbearing surface, the 5 pressure of contact being regulable by suitablemeans, such as for example by a screw. 4

The casing of the device is substantially in the form of a fiat box, andis adapted to be screwed into a ring for attachment to one end of thecon tainer, and to be secured against removal by means of elements whichare inaccessible from the outside. In order to obtain maximum rates offlow, the liquid outlet and air inlet passages are very considerablywidened and expanded, are 15 substantially of rectangular shape incross-section, and are so disposed that the liquid passage assumes aposition as low down as possible in the container and the air passage ashigh up as, possible, for the purpose, on the one hand, of pre: ventingthe formation of an air-lock in the air passage. and, on the other hand,of enabling the container to be as far as possible completely emptied. IAt the same time provision is made, in. accordance Wth the invention,for enabling the bearing surface for the slide valve to be located asclose as possible to the bottom of the container.

The cock plug is so constructed that on its r0.- tation into the openposition the outlet passage for the liquid contents of the container isopened earlier than the inlet passage for the air, the result being thatthe liquid in the container produces a partial vacuum by which, when theair afterwards, air is drawn into the container through this latterpassage. At the same time the air inlet passage and the liquid outletpassage are inter-connected in the cock plug by .a communal space.

For transport, the outside fittings, that is to say the head. of thecock plug and the end portion of the casing, can be closed over by meansof a sealing cap which prevents removal of the handle of the tappingcock, and provides a particularly favorable possibility of sealing thedevice 7 as a protection against tampering.

A form of construction embodying the invention is shown, by way ofexample, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a section of a tapping and refill-controlling device inaccordance with the invention, in section taken on the line c-d of Fig.2.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line a-b of Fig; 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 4 shows the device in front elevation with the cock plug removed.

Fig. 5 shows the device in a tilted position.

Fig. 6 shows the device in a position assumed when the container isrevolved about its longitudinal axis so that the spout is disposed atthe side.

Fig. 7 shows the locking elements, the cock plug, and the casing, inrear end elevation, the locking elements being shown in the lockingposition.

Fig. 8 shows the same view as Fig. 7, but with the locking elementsmoved to their inward position to unlock the plug to permit its removalfrom its casing.

Referring to the drawings, the casing or housing 4 into which the cockplug 5 is removably inserted, is provided top and bottom with alaterally extending socketed portion and 5V, respectively, having,inside the container, a COIllmunal bearing surface 52 for a slide valve53. The passages 10, H in the sockets 50 and 5| are multiple-curved, ascan be seen from Fig. 1.

The portion of the passage nearest the cock plug is in each case out ofifrom direct communicationwith the outer portion'terminating at therespective apertures in the slide valve bearing face by a curvedpartition or cowl l2 and 13, respectively, which makes it impossible fora flexible implement, such as a piece of wire, to be introduced throughthe apertures in the cock plugv 5 up to the apertures l0 and I l in thecommunal slide valve bearing face to interfere with the functioning ofthe slide valve 53. The passages 10 and H are widened out to thegreatest possible extent, and are made as large as possible incrosssection, so as to put as little check as possible on the flow ofmedia therethrough. At 10", l' I these passages are provided withspecial chambers which permit the remaining cross-section to be kept asshallow as possible, so that the device can be fitted very close to thecylindrical jacket 2 of the container, when the latter is a barrel, andalso as low down as possible, as indicated in the drawings.

The slide valve 53 is furnished with an aperture 54, and is pressedagainst its bearing surface by the two-armed lever 62 which is pivotedat 59 on an extension or lug on the casing 4 of the device. The lever 62is provided at 5 with a wrist-pin by means of which there is articulatedto this lever a weight 16 which is pivoted relatively to but in the sameplane as this lever 62. The slide valve is connected tothe end of thelever by means of an adjustable screw 82 which at the same time servesfor the regulation of the contacting pressure between the slide valveand its bearing face.

The cock plug 5 fitted in the casing 4 is provided with apertures 38 and39 which are interconnected by a communal space 84, and of which, whenthe plug is inthe open position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the formercommunicates with the passage 10 in the socket 50 and the latter withthe passage ll in the socket 5W, so that liquid can flow out of thecontainer through the passage H and aperture 39, past the rib 46, andover the spout 4 while at the same time air enters the container throughthe aperture 38 and the passage ID in the socket 50 Since in thesecircumstances the device, and more particularly the slide valve 53, isdisposed in a vertical plane, the weight I6, acting through theintermediary of the lever 62, retains the slide valve 53 in the positionshown in Figs. 1 to 3, in which the apertures w and H in which thepassages 10 and H terminate, respectively, are disclosed. The cock plug5 serves solely for the closing and opening of the tapping ports. Therefilling passage, on the other hand, is bounded by the inside wall ofthe cock casing 4 when the plug 5 is removed from the casing. However,the removing of the plug can not be effected until the cylinder lock 6provided in the cock plug 5 has been unlocked by means of a fittingpush-key. The central pin 23, which is slotted as at 23 for the key, isprovided with an extension 23 secured to a disc 33 which controls themovement of segments 35 adapted to engage behind the rear end surface ofthe casing 4, in such a manner that rotation of the disc 33 in the onedirection swings the segments into position behind the rear end surfaceof the casing, while rotation of this disc in the other direction movesthese segments from the locking position shown in Figs. 3 and 7 inwardlyinto a position in which they clear the cylindrical opening of casing 4so that the cock plug 5 can be remoyed bodily from the casing 4, afterwhich liquid can be poured into the container through the opening in thecasing normally destined for the reception of the cock plug. Thispivotal movement of the parts shown in rear elevation in Figs. 7 and 8,and more particularly of the segments 35, is rendered possible by virtueof the fact that on rotation of the pin 23 the disc 33 is also rotated.Since the segments 35 are on the one hand articulated by means of pins36 to the rear end surface of the cock plug 5 and on the other hand areprovided with studs 34 which engage appropriately curved slots 33" inthe disc 33, rotation of the disc 33, shown in locking position in Fig.'7, in a clockwise direction will cause the segments to be swunginwardly, the end position of this movement in which they clear casing 4being shown in Fig. 8.

Since however only the owner of the container, and not any dealer orother person holding it on loan, is in possession of the key to the lockwhich governs the removal of the cock plug no one else but the owner ofthe container is in a position to refill it. The attempt couldnevertheless be made by unauthorized persons to refill the containerwith liquid of a difierent nature or of a different quality from thatwith which it was originally filled. For this purpose the barrel shownin the drawings could be tilted up on end (Fig. 5) or rotated (Fig. 6)about its axis (for example by being rolled on the cylindrical jacket2), in which latter case the device according to the invention (Fig. 1)is likewise turned until the cock plug or for example the spout 4 is ata higher level than the top of the upper aperture in the slide valve 53.However, as soon as the device goes beyond the position in which thebearing surface for the slide valve is horizontal in the course of suchrotary movement, the weight 16 drops back from the position shown inFig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 6, with the result that, through theintermediary of the two-armed lever 62, the slide valve 53 closes overthe ports in the bearing face for the passages 10, II, and therebyrenders it impossible for liquid to be introduced into the barrel orother container through these latter passages. The same naturally occurswhen the container, and with it the device according to the invention,is tilted backwards from the horizontal position towards the uprightposition, as indicated by the arrow is in Fig. of the drawings. At thesechanges of position of the container the lever 62 moves about its pivot,in the direction indicated by the arrow pc in Fig. 5, only until theabutment 8%] on this lever comes into contact with the upper part of thecasing 4.

The introduction of a wire or other similar implement into the passages10 and H is effectually guarded against by the provision of theinltercepting partitions 12 and 13, since these latter, being curved,tend to turnover the end of the wire orother implement and eventuallytwist this latter up into a coil if the attempt bejmade to thrust itfurther in. It is consequently quite impossible to pass a piece of wireor the like up the passages 10 and H as far as the point at whichthesepassages open into the interior of the container.

The relatively small'diameter of the opening in the cock casing isliable to impede the cleaning out of the container to which the deviceaccording to the invention is fitted. When this device is welded intoone of the ends of the container, as in the case of a barrel, thetroublesome and expensive operation of opening the weld becomesnecessary before readjustment of any of the moving parts of the devicecan be effected or repairs done to the slide valve. This necessity isavoided by the following arrangement The casing of the device is unitedto the wall of the container by means of a screw connection which isindirectly protected by the cock plug itself, the arrangement being, forexample, to provide a front flange 8B of the casing 4 of suitably largediameter, with external screw threading, so that this part can bescrewed into a suitable ring 81 in the end wall I of the container, thisscrew joint being locked by means for instance of a grub screw 88extending obliquely through the casing 4 and adapted to be screwed intothe ring 81.thus preventing relative rotation betweenthis ring and thecasing and slackening of the described screw joint between these parts.Between the ring 81 and the rim flange 86 there is fitted a packing ring92. On the spout l there are provided ribs 90,80 to which if desiredthere can be fitted an additional lip member 9| to facilitate thedispensing of the contents of the container and to catch drops.

The apertures inthe bearing face for the slide valve to work against inthe interior of the container are disposed as far apart as possible, soas to enable the outlet aperture for the liquid contents of thecontainer to be disposed close to the wall of the container, while theaperture for the admission of air is disposed as high up as possible.The registering apertures or ports in the cock plug, or the edges ofthese apertures, are so disposed relativelyto each other that when thecock plug is rotated into the open position the outflow passage becomesopened in advance of the air inlet passage, for reasons explained above.

. In order to make the slide member 62 light in weight this part can bemade by pressure molding or die casting from oil-proof artificial resin,for instance from Bakelite a When in position in the casing of thedevice, the cock plug prevents access to the grub screw passing throughthe casing into the ring v.at-

tached to the wall of the container.

I claim: W l. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment toa container of dispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stopcockcasing 3 with a through central bore, a cock plug rotatably fitted inthe said bore, key-controlled means for locking the said plug againstaxial movement in the said casing and for releasing the same for removalfrom the casing to clear the said bore for the purpose of refilling thecontainer, a plane bearing face at the side of the said casing, ports inthe wall of the said bore, ports in the said bearing face, an air inletand a liquid outlet passage in the said casing leading severally fromone of the said ports in the wall of the bore tothe corresponding one ofthe said ports in the bearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outletport in the said plug adapted to register with the said ports in thebore of the casing, an apertured slide member adapted to work againstthe said bearing face and to close and open the said ports in said facein its two operative end positions, respectively, and weight-operatedmeans for actuating the said slide member in dependence on the positionof the said device in space;

2. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to a containerofdispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stop-cock casing witha through central ably fitted in the said bore, key-controlled means forlocking the said plug against axial movement in the said casing and forreleasing the same for removal from the casing to clear the said borefor the purpose of refilling the container, a plane bearing face at theside of the said casing, ports in the wall of the said bore, ports inthe said bearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outlet passage in thesaid casing'leading severally from one of the said ports correspondingone ofthe said ports in the bearing face, the said'passages being curvedin their length, an air inlet and a liquid outlet port in the said plugadaptedto register with the said ports in the bore of the casing, anapertured slide member adapted to work against the said bearing face andto close and open the said ports in said face in its two operative endpositions, respectively, and weight-operated means for actuating thesaid slide member in dependence on the position of the said device inspace.

3. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to a containerof dispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stop-cock casinghaving a central through bore, a cock plug rotatably fitted in the saidbore, key-controlled means for locking the said plug against axialmovement in the said casing and for releasing the same for removal fromthe casing to clear the said bore for the'purpose of refilling thecontainer, 2. plane bearing face at the side of the said casing, portsin the wall of the said bore, ports in the said bearing face, an airinlet and a liquid outlet passage in the said casing leading severallyfrom one of the said ports in the wallof the bore to the correspondingone of the said ports in the bearing face, the said passages being eachcomposed of two limbs of different curvature having a wall in commonwhere they are adjacent each other, an air inlet and a liquid outletport in the said plug adapted'to register with the said'ports in thebore of the casing, an apertured slide member adapted to work againstthe said bearing face and to close and open the said ports in said facein its two operative end positions, respectively, and weight-operatedmeans for actuating the said slide member in dependence on the positionof the said device in space.

4. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to a containerof dispensable liquid,

bore, a cock plug rotatin the wall of the bore to the I comprising incombination a stop-cock casing having a central through bore, a cockplug rotatably fitted in the said bore, key-controlled means for lockingthe said plug against axial movement in the said casing and forreleasing the same for removal from the casing to clear the said borefor the purpose of refilling the container, a plane bearing face at theside of the said casing, ports in the wall of the said bore, ports inthe said bearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outlet passage in thesaid casing leading severally; from one of the said ports in the wall ofthe bore to the corresponding one of the said ports in the bearing face,the said passages being each composed of two limbs of curved shapehaving a wall in cornmonwhere they are adjacent each other, and the saidwall being shaped like a cowl over the end of the passage nearest thesaid plug, for the purpose of preventing the introduction of a tamperingimplement into the said passages up to the said ports in the saidbearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outlet port in the said plugadapted to register with the said ports in the bore of the casing, anapertured slide member adapted to work against the said bearing face andto close and open the said ports in said face in its two operative endpositions, respectively, and weightoperated means for actuating the saidslide member in dependence on the position of the entire device inspace.

5. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to acontainerof dispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stop-cock casing witha central through bore, a cock plug rotatably fitted in the said bore,key-controlled means for locking the said plug against axial movement inthe said casing and for releasing the same for removal from the casingto clear the said bore for the purpose of refilling the container, aplane bearing face at the side of the said casing, ports in the wall ofthe said bore, ports in the said bearing face, an air inlet and a liquidoutlet passage in the said casing leading severally from one of the saidports in the wall of the bore to the corresponding one of the said portsin the bearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outlet port in the saidplug adapted to register with the said ports in the bore of the casing,an apertured slide member adapted to work against the said bearing faceand to close and open the said ports in said face in its two operativeend positions, respectively, and weight-operated means for actuating thesaid slide member in dependence on the position of the entire device inspace, the said weightcontrolled means comprising a two-armed leverfulcrumed on the said casing and articulated with one arm to the saidslide member, and a weight articulated to the other arm for pivotalmovement relatively to and in the same plane as the said lever.

6. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to a containerof dispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stop-cock casinghaving a central through bore, a cock plug rotatably fitted in the saidbore, key-controlled means for locking the said plug against axialmovement in the said casing and for releasing the same for removal fromthe casing to clear the said bore for the purpose of refilling thecontainer, a plane bearing face at the side of the said casing, ports inthe wall of the said bore, ports in the said bearing face, an air inletand a liquid outlet passage in the said casing leading severally fromone of the said ports in the wall of the bore to the corresponding oneof the said ports in the bearing face,

, weight-controlled means an air inlet and a liquid outlet port in thesaid plug adapted to register with the said ports in the bore of thecasing, an apertured slide member adapted to work against the saidbearing face and to close and open the said ports in said face in itstwo operative end positions, respectively, and weight-operated means foractuating the said slide member in dependence on the position of thesaid device in space, the said weight-controlled means comprising atwo-armed lever fulcrurned on the said casing and articulated to thesaid slide member with one of its arms, and a weight articulated to theother arm for pivotal movement relatively to and in the same plane asthe said lever, the said weight-controlled means being adapted to keepthe said slide member constantly pressed against the said bearing face.

7. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to a containerof dispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stop-cock casinghaving a central through bore, a cock plug rotatably fitted in the saidbore, key-controlled means for locking the said plug against axialmovement in the said casing and for releasing the same for removal fromthe casing to clear the said bore for the purpose of refilling thecontainer, a plane bearing face at the side of the said casing, ports inthe wall of the said bore, ports in the said bearing face, an air inletand a liquid outlet passage in the said casing leading severally fromone of the said ports in the wall of the bore to the corresponding oneof the said ports in the bearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outletport in the said plug adapted to register with the said ports in thebore of the casing, an apertured slide member adapted to work againstthe said bearing face and to close and open the said ports in said facein its two operative end positions, re, spectively, and weight-operatedmeans for actuating the said slide member in dependence on the positionof the entire device in space, the said comprising a two-armed leverfulcrumed on the said casing and adapted to keep the said slide memberconstantly pressed against the said bearing face and articulated withone arm to the said slide member, and a weight articulated to the otherarm for pivotal movement relatively to and in the same plane as the saidlever; the said device further comprising a set-screw associated withthe said lever and bearing against the said slide member for adjustingthe pressure between the contacting surfaces on the said member on theone hand and its bearing or working surface on the other hand.

8. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to a containerof dispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stop-cock casing witha central through bore, a cock plug rotatably fitted in the said bore,key-controlled means for locking the said plug against axial movement inthe said casing and for releasing the same for removal from the casingto clear the said bore for the purpose of refilling the container, aplane bearin face at the side of the said casing, ports in the wall ofthe said bore, ports in the said bearing face, an air inlet and a liquidoutlet passage in the said casing leading severally from one of the saidports in the wall of the bore. to the corresponding one of the saidports in the bearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outlet port in thesaid plug adapted to register with the said ports in the bore of thecasing, a hollow space in the said plug adapted to establishinter-communication between the air inlet port and the liquid outletport in the said-plug, an apertured slide member adapted to work againstthe said bearing face and to close and open the said ports in said facein its two operative end positions, respectively, and weight-operatedmeans for actuating the said slide member in dependence on the positionof the said device in space.

9. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to a containerof dispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stop-cock casinghaving a central through bore, a cock plug rotatably fitted in the saidbore, key-controlled means for locking the said plug against axialmovement in the said casing and for releasing the same for removal fromthe casing to clear the said bore for the purpose of refilling thecontainer, a plane bearing face at the side of the said casing, ports inthe wall of the said bore, ports in the said bearing face, an air inletand a liquid outlet passage in the said casing leading severally fromone of the said ports in the wall of the bore to the corresponding oneof the said ports in the bearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outletport in the said plug adapted to register with the said ports in thebore of the casing, a hollow space in the said plug adapted to establishinter-communication between the air inlet port and the liquid outletport in the said plug, the said ports in the plug being so disposedrelatively to each other that at the opening movement of the said plugthe liquid outlet ports in the said plug and bore wall are caused toregister in advance of the corresponding air inlet ports, an operturedslide member adapted to work against the said bearing face and to closeand open the said ports in said face in its two operative end positions,respectively, and weight-operated means for actuating the said slidemember in dependence on the position of the said device in space.

10. A tapping and refill-controlling device for attachment to acontainer of dispensable liquid, comprising in combination a stop-cockcasing haw/lg a central through bore, a cock plug rotatably fitted inthe said bore, key-controlled means for locking the said plug againstaxial movement in the said casing and for releasing the same for removalfrom the casing to clear the said bore for the purpose of refilling thecontainer, a plane bearing face at the side of the said casing, ports inthe Wall of the said bore, ports in the said bearing face, an air inletand a liquid outlet passage in the said casing leading severally fromone of the said ports in the Wall of the bore to the corresponding oneof the said ports in the bearing face, an air inlet and a liquid outletport in the said plug adapted to register With the said ports in thebore of the casing, an apertured slide member adapted to work againstthe said bearing face and to close and open the said ports in said facein its two operative end positions, respectively, and Weightoperatedmeans for actuating the said slide mem.- her in dependence on theposition of the said device in space; and further comprising", screwthreading on the periphery of the said casing, a ring member screwed onthe said threading and adapted to be attached to the said container, atapped hole in the said ring member for the reception of a locking grubscrew, and a registering socket in the said casing terminating at apoint normally covered over by the said plug.

CHRISTOPH KARAGEORGIEFF.

